Apparatus for cleaning tanks and the like



Aug. 4, 1953 R, c. GREIN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TANKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 12, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

- zg morza areua M A zizls aornqy 1953 R. c. GREIN 2,647,639

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TANKS AND THE. LIKE Filed Aug. 12. 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .fi ylrzozzr/(ffi rc (AL Patented Aug. 4,1953 4 1:.

OFFICE APPARATUS'FOR CLEANING TANKS AND THE LIKE Raymond C. Grein, Rochester, N. Y. Application August 12, 1948, Serial No. 43,823

5 Claims. (Cl. 210-207) The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for cleaning the interiors of tanks and similar liquid containers and it has-for its general object to provide .an improved method and a simple and portable apparatus whereby such a tank containing a body of liquid ata high or low level may have its walls thoroughly cleaned of sludge and sedimentary matter and the liquid body restored thereto in a filtered condition, all in one operation. In other Words the tank does not have to be first emptied of its contents as in other techniques, flushed withv other solutions or liquids, or free access gained to its interior. i

These and other desirable objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of both a conventional liquid holding tank and, besideit, in operative relationship therewith an' apparatus constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of the invention through the use of which apparatus the improved'method may be practiced, a portion of the tankwall being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus with the draining and discharge hoses broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the apparatus with the discharge hose in section and the draining hose broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical central section through the filter with parts broken away; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged centralvertical section through the preliminary screen strainer.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A indicates a conventional oil storage tank such as is commonly used in residences for domestic heating installations and though the invention is not to be considered so limited the following description will be addressed specifically, for convenience, to its application to the cleaning of such tanks to prevent foreign matter from being carried to the oil burner through the oil feeding connection. In the illustration, the tank is practically full, the oil level being indicated at B. Were it suddenly discovered, under such circumstances, that the oil and tank were foul and were passing foreign matter admixed with the oil to the fuel line, causing stoppages at the burner, it would, in past practices, be necessary to drain oh t e ont nts c ean the oil, clean the tank, and refill it. sludges form on the bottom and submerged walls due principally to sedimentary deposits, scale, and rust, the latter caused largely by water of condensation settling at the bottom. With the present invention, drainingthe tank in order to clean it is not necessary.

There is provided a portable apparatus that may be easily carried and transported to and from the home or other scene of operations and embodying an open table base l0. Hung from and beneath the table portion I 2 thereof is a motor 14 controlled by a switch l6 and driving, through a belt 18 a suitable pump 20 which, in the present instance is a centrifugal pump. The intake 22 of the latter is fitted with a preliminary oil cleaning screen casing or strainer 24 (Fig. 5). The strainer embodies a removable screen cylinder 24 carried by a plug 26 and seated in the interior wall 28. A nipple 3!] on the casing forms attachment for a flexible drainage hose or pipe 32 terminating at its free end in a nipple or wide capacity mouth 34.

The discharge port of the pump delivers to a pump chamber 36 from which a pipe section 38 leads through a union ,3!) to a sight gage 40 of transparent character through which the flow of liquid may be observed at any time during the operation so that its condition as to the presence of foreign matter may be noted. The gage or sight glass 40 is preferably provided with a rotary vane 4| turned by the flow of liquid, so that the readily observable speed of rotation of the vane givesthe operator a clear indication of the rate of flow. The gage is supported above the table I2. Thence the fiow passesthrough a pipe section 42 to the intake 44 of a filter casing 46 detachably supported by suitable brackets 41 from the table [2. This filter unit is of an available type and need not be described in detail. Sufiice it to say that a correspondingly crimped wool felt and screen cloth filtering medium 48 is slipped onto a permanent finned insert form 50, the ends of which are closed by the heads 52. The inflowing oil (arrows 54) passes therethrough to a foraminous inner tube 56 on a finned central support 58 and is forced down the same (arrows 60) toissue at a discharge outlet connection 62. To this connection is attached through a nipple 64, a flexible discharge hose 66 terminating in a high velocity jet nozzle 68.

In operation under the condition first described, the apparatus is transported to the scene and placed approximately as shown. Drain or suction hose 32 is inserted in a top bung D with which the tank is provided near one end thereof until the mouth 34 of the pipe is adjacent the bottom of the tank. Discharge hose 56 is similarly in-' serted in another like bung hole E near the opposite end of the tank so that its high velocity nozzle 68 rests on the tank bottom. The starting switch 13 is operated (after the electric supply cord, not shown, has been plugged into a convenient outlet) 1 to start operation ofithe 'pump zfi, the flow travelling as described'from intake 34 through the gage it and filters 24 and 46 to the nozzle. This latter is moved around by manipulating the flexible hose from the exterior so-,-that it lashes about inside and directs the issuing how of circulating nil in diverse multiple directions and impinges the stream against the submergedwvalls at various angles to cause extreme turbulence-in the oil body. This scouring action dislodges dirt particles and holds them in suspension 'until caught at the strainer 26 or the filter 46. In the meantime the condition of the-oil is being .watched through the sight gagedll.

When it is observed that the loil is running clear, the operation isdiscontinuei-the tankti s clean, the oil-is clean,-and itris still in-the tank. .Water-of condensation that has settled-at ,the

bottom of the latter will be trapped in thebottom ofthefilter'case 4-3 andz-maybedrawn'off through a valve controlled. drain pipe 10.

For easeof portability of theapparatus,--the union 3 9 may bedisconnected, whereupon-the sight glass fill piping t2, and filter-.unit-.'43 may belifted togetheroif of-the table 1.2, sincethe filterunit 43 merely rests loosely on the brackets 41--which engage the undersurf ace of thehori- 2011132,}. ring onthe filter: casing, .as-seen in 1;.

The-table l2 and the motor. and; pump mounted thereon are sufliciently light tobetcarriedreadily and that without departing fromltheinvention,

the details may be varied within thescopeoi the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1-. Portable apparatus for. filtering aliquid, said apparatus comprising a supporting table, having 1 downwardly extending leg portions -.to maintain the table in an elevated position, aliguidpump anda motorfor driving .said pump suspended from and depending below said table, .a .filter unit .mounted above said table, said Ifilter'unit having an upstanding elongated casingand a flange extending outwardly therefrom at an elevation materially above the bottom thereof .a plurality of bracketarm mounted on saidtable and extending upwardly therefrom .inlaterally I spaced relation to each other, said bracket arms being arranged to receive said casing between them with said flange resting on said bracket arms, conduit means interconnecting saidpump andfilter unit, and a readilydetachableconnec tion in said conduit means between said pump and said filter unit so that when said connection is disconnected said filter unit may be simply lifted off of and out from between said bracket arms and may be transported separately from said table and pump and motor, to render said apparatus more readily portable.

2. A construction as described in claim 1, furither including aflexible inlet conduit operatively connected to the inlet of said pump, a flexible outlet conduit operatively connected to the outlet 01' said pump, and a restricted orifice nozzle at the discharge end of said outlet conduit to produce :a relatively high velocity jet of liquid issuing from said outlet conduit.

3. A'construction as described in claim 1, fur- :ther including-a strainer unit operatively connected to the inlet of said pump to strain liquid before it reaches said pump, said filter unit being operatively connected to the outlet of said pump.

-4..-A'-'construction=as described in claim-3, in whichtsaidgstrainer-unit comprises a casing having inleteand' outlet orifices in approximate alinementwithzeach'other and a lateral extension provii'ded'Witha screen orifice, and an approximately cylindrical straining screen inserted in said casing zthrongh said screen orifice and with its cyliniirical axis: at a substantial angle to a line joining said inlet and outlet orifices.

Z5..;Apparatus;asdefined in claim 1, further ineluding suction conduit-means operatively connected' to the inlet of said pump and having a :suctioncend-adapted to be inserted downwardly in a top opening in a liquid tank to extend down therein to-=a;point near the bottom of the tank, and discharge conduit means operatively connected to-"saidifilter unitto receive the liquid discharged from said filter unit, said discharge conduit means having at its discharge end a restricted high velocity nozzle adapted to be inserted downwardly in a top opening'of a liquid .tankxtozextend doWn therein to a point near the bottom of the tank to 'produce, when said pump is'inioperation, ahigh velocity liquid jet to impingeron the-bottom of the tank and stir up sedimenttherein.

RAYMOND C. GREIN.

References Cited in thefile of this patent 'UNI-TED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,273,656 Poget July 23, 1918 1.,552398v Menge Sept. 8, 1925 1,583,236 Murrish May 4, 1926 1,693.79 Wuest Dec. 4, 1928 1,756,410 Wertz Apr. 29, 1930 1,764,160 Finch June 17, 1930 1,384,820 Osborne Oct. 25, 1932 -2',050;634 Stegemann V Aug. 11, 1936 2,054,797 Franklin Sept. 22, 1936 2.222513 Mulvaney Nov. 19, 1940 (2,303,491 Otterson Dec. 1, 1942 2,349,469, Sloan May 23, 1944 2512;998 Smith Oct. '7, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date "3,4:76 Australia Aug. 12. 1927 

